Saying Yes
by mysterygirl2000
Summary: Rory and Trsiten meet in the future...Ch 3 has been revised and is now complete
1. Meeting Again

I wanted to come up with something a little different. This takes place in the future. I don't own the Gilmore Girls or anything associated with them. I hope you all enjoy the story. 

Saying Yes.

The plane cut through the sky. Rory Gilmore stared at the man standing next to her seat. The stewardess stared at them from the front of the cabin. Rory reached up, pulling him down next to her.

"Still can't resist me." The man whispered, his trademark smirk appearing.

"Don't want to get in trouble." She whispered back, nodding towards the front of the cabin.

Tristen looked up, seeing that the stewardess had disappeared behind the curtain. He turned back to Rory.

"So…Rory Gilmore. How long has it been."

"Nine years." She whispered

"So what have you been doing?"

Before Rory could answer, a little voice said

"Mommy I'm done."

Tristen looked down to see a little girl standing next to his seat. Smiling, he leaned down and said

"And who might you be?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

Tristen smiled at the girl.

"I'm Tristen, a friend of your mommy's." he said

The girl looked at Rory. When she nodded, the girl said

"Lori Gilmore."

Tristen smiled, the turned back to Rory.

"Another Gilmore girl carried on the tradition."

"Come here Lori."

The girl looked at Tristen. He reached down, picked Lori up and handed her to Rory. The girl snuggled into her mothers arms, her eyes closing. Soon, she was sound asleep.

"So how old is she?"

"Six, next week." Rory whispered, stroking her daughters brown hair.

"She's beautiful, just like her mother." He said, "Is she…Who is…"

"Its not Dean." She said, "We split up in high school"

"So who is her father."

"Jared, a guy I met, my freshman year at Harvard." She said, "We stayed together until Lori was born. I think we tried to convince ourselves that Lori would keep us together but it didn't work."

"Do you ever…"

"No, that would mean that I regret having Lori and I could never do that."

A stewardess walked by, stopping next to them. She leaned down and said

"We are going to be landing soon."

Tristen nodded, standing up. As he stepped aside, Rory eased Lori into her seat. He helped her fasten the seatbelt, the stood up. His eyes met Rory's again. He pulled a card out of his pocket and scribbled something on it. As he handed it to Rory, he said

"Call me sometime. If we can't think of anything else to do, we could always get married."

Rory looked up, but he was gone. She stood slowly, looking around the plane but didn't see him anywhere.

"Miss I need you to take your seat."

Rory nodded, sitting down. She fastened her seatbelt and looked at the card. The name of a law firm was embossed on the front of the card. His name was printed underneath the name of the firm. She ran her finger over the letters of his name. Turning the card over, she read what he wrote.

"555-4289. Call me anytime."

Rory smiled as she slipped the card in her pocket. She looked over at Lori and brushed her hair back.

"We're almost home." She whispered


	2. The Phone Call

Rory walked into the terminal, Lori's hand tightly in hers. She scanned the room, looking for her mother. Finally she spotted her and Luke, waving their hands in the air.

"Lori look there's grandma and grandpa."

"Where?"

Rory pointed to where her mother and Luke were standing. She picked her daughter up and made her way through the crowd of people. Lorelai took her granddaughter while Rory hugged Luke. Then Luke took Lori, while Lorelai hugged her daughter.

"So how was the trip?"

"It was fine."

"And how was Jared?"

"He's fine."

Lorelai looked at Luke

"Lori, why don't you tell me about your visit with your daddy while we get the bags?"

"It was fun. I went to the zoo, the park and a movie."

When they were gone, Lorelai turned to her daughter.

"So how was the trip?"

"It was fine. Jared was fine…and so was his new girlfriend Callie."

"So he has a new girlfriend."

"She's really nice. She has a son the same age as Lori."

"So what else is going on in that head of yours?"

"I ran into someone."

"Paris…Louise…Madeline?"

"Tristen."

"Tristen?" she repeated the name a few times, then her eyes widened, "Bible boy, Spawn of Satan, Evil Tristen?"

"He just goes by Tristen now." Rory said, "He's changed a lot over the years. He's a lawyer in Hartford now."

"So what did you two talk about."

"Nothing much. He gave me his card and…"

"And what?" Lorelai questioned

"He said if we didn't have anything else to do, we could always get married."

"He proposed to you." Lorelai practically shouted

"He did not propose to me. He's Tristen, he a natural flirt. It didn't mean anything?"

"Are you going to call him?"

"I don't know." Rory said, spotting Lori and Luke, "Looks like they have the bags. Let's go."

Tristen leaned his head against the window, watching the city zip by. He couldn't help but think about Rory Gilmore. Her smile, her eyes, the scent of her shampoo. It was all so intoxicating to him. The car came to a stop. Slowly he sat up, moving away from the window. The door opened and Tristen slid out of the car. He made his way to the front of the building. The doorman pulled open the door.

"Welcome home Mr. Dugray. I'll have your bags brought up."

"Thank John."

Tristen walked through the door and took the elevator up to the 10th floor. He stepped off the elevator and pulled his keys out of his pocket. After unlocking the door, he stepped inside, shedding his jacket immediately. He threw his keys on the counter and collected his mail from the basket.

He leafed through the mail, discarding most of it. His mind kept going back to Rory Gilmore. Slowly he made his way into his living room, pausing in front of a bookcase. His finger skimmed along the edge of the bookcase until he found what he was looking for. 

He pulled the book off his shelf and walked over to the couch. Sitting down, he loosened his tie and flipped open the book. He ran his finger down the page until he spotted her name. He flipped through the pages until he found her picture. His finger traced over her face.

"Rory Gilmore." He whispered

Rory unlocked the door to her grandparents' house. They left it to her in their will. When she was younger, she disliked the house. It was too big for her taste. After her grandparents' death, she couldn't bear to sell it. It was part of her family. 

She carried her bags inside, followed by her mother and Luke, who held a sleeping Lori in his arms. 

"I'll take her upstairs." He whispered

"Thanks Luke."

Luke disappeared up the stairs, leaving Rory and her mother in the hall. Rory picked up her mail and headed into the living room with her mother following her.

"So are you gonna call him?"

"Who?"

"Don't who me…Tristen."

"I…I don't know. Maybe."

Luke came into the living room a few minutes later.

"Lori's fast asleep." He said, "And we should be getting back home."

"Okay." Lorelai said, turning to her husband. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

Luke hugged Rory and walked out of the room. Lorelai turned to her daughter. 

"Call him." She said, then slipped out of the room.

Rory waited until she heard the front door close. She looked around the living room. Slowly she reached into her pocket and pulled the card out of her pocket. Flipping it over, she saw Tristen's phone number on the back.

She walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. After a few minutes of hesitation, she dialed a phone number. It rang twice, then an answering machine picked up. She listened to the message, then said

"This is Rory…Rory Gilmore."

The phone picked up immediately.

"Rory?"

"Tris…Tristen. I didn't think you would be home."

"A few minutes ago."

"Good. Did you have a good trip?"

"It was fine. Rory, you didn't call to ask about my trip."

"I know. I was just wondering if you would…I mean if you aren't busy you might like to…"

Tristen smiled into the phone, knowing what she was trying to do.

"Rory, would you like to have dinner with me Saturday night?"

"Yes." She said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. 

"Great. So I will pick you up Saturday night. Do you still live in Stars Hollow?"

"No. I…Lori and I like in Hartford. In my grandparents old house. Its 535 Maple Lane."

"I know where it is." He said, "So I will pick you up at 7:00PM Saturday night."

"Fine. See you then. Bye."

Rory hung up the phone. She walked over to the bookshelf and pulled a leather-bound book down. She sat down on the couch and opened the Chilton Annual from her sophomore year. Her finger ran down the page until she saw his name. She flipped to the page and was met with his familiar smirk.

"Am I making a mistake?" she whispered


	3. Saturday Night

Rory stood in front of the bed, examining possible outfits for her date tonight. After a few minutes, she finally decided on a black skirt and a white sweater. Checking the clock, she saw she had just enough time to get Lori to her mother's house and get back to get dressed.

She walked out of the bedroom and headed down the hall to her daughter's room. As she entered the room, she found Lori sitting on the bed. She walked in the room, sitting next to her daughter.

"Lori, are you ready to go?"

"I don't feel good mommy."

"What's wrong?"

"My tummy hurts."

Rory felt her daughter's forehead.

"You're not hot."

"It really hurts mommy."

"Okay. Why don't you lie down. I'll call grandma and tell her we aren't coming."

Lori nodded as her mother stood up. She crawled under the covers and Rory pulled the blanket up to her chin. Rory placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and walked out of the room. She picked up the hallway phone and dialed the number for the Independence Inn.

"Independence Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Mom its me."

"Hey sweetie. Aren't you supposed to be on your way here?"

"I'm not coming. Lori's sick."

"What's wrong?"

"She has a stomach ache."

"Does she have a fever?"

"No."

"Is she throwing up?"

"Gross but no."

"And she's sick 2 hours before you are supposed to go on your date."

Rory's eyes widened.

"You mean she's faking it. Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. I mean you haven't gone out with him before. You haven't been dating anyone that I can remember."

"Thanks for the reminder." Rory said, "Well I am going to have a talk with Lori."

"Are you going on the date?"

"I…I don't know."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Rory hung up the phone and walked into her daughter's bedroom. Lori was still under the covers when Rory sat down on the bed.

"How are you feeling honey."

"A little better."

"Lori, do you not want me to go out tonight?"

Rory saw her daughter's chin begin to tremble. Before she could stop her, tears began to flow down her cheeks. Rory pulled her daughter into her arms. She rubbed her back and pressed a soothing kiss against her forehead.

"Its okay Lori." She whispered

Slowly she pulled her daughter away. 

"So why are you upset?"

"I don't want you to forget about me."

"Lori why do you think I would forget about you."

"It would be just like daddy."

"Your daddy love you very much Lori."

"He loves Callie and Michael."

"When we were in Maryland, he took you our every day."

"And he brought Michael with us."

Rory felt her heartbreak. She knew that whatever had happened this weekend, that Jared didn't mean to do it. Slowly she lifted her daughter out of her arms.

"Why don't we get a pizza and watch some movies. Just you and me."

"What about your date?"

"I'll take care of it." She said, "Why don't you go pick out a few movies."

Lori smiled and climbed out of her bed. She ran downstairs and Rory walked back into her bedroom. Slowly she picked up her phone and dialed his number. It rang 3 times and his machine picked up. She listened to the message, then said

"Tristen its me. I know its short notice but I can't do tonight. Call me later."

She hung up the phone and walked over to the bed. After a minute, she picked up the skirt and sweater, then hung them in the closet.

Rory walked downstairs to find Lori sitting on the couch. She sat next to her and said

"So what have you picked for us this evening?"

Lori held up two movies. 

"Casper and Hook." She said, "Excellent choices. So which one is first?"

"Casper." Lori said.

Rory took the box from her daughter and walked over to the DVD player. She set the movie in the tray and walked back to the couch. Grabbing a blanket, she sat down, pulled her daughter into her lap and wrapped the blanket around them both.

They were halfway through the movie when the doorbell rang. Rory eased her daughter off her lap and stood slowly. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly to find Tristen standing on the other side, dressed in a dark suit. In one hand, he held a rose.

"Tristen…hi. Come in."

Tristen stepped inside, staring at her. He took in the jeans, faded Harvard sweatshirt and her messy ponytail.

"Am I early. I thought we agreed on seven."

"Tristen, I left you a message. I can't go. Lori is…was…Lori wasn't feeling well."

"Is everything okay?" he asked, sounding worried

"She's fine. We're kind of having a mother/daughter night. Can we reschedule."

"Sure. Give me a call later.

Rory leaned forward to kiss his cheek. She opened the door to let him out when she heard.

"He can stay mommy."

They both turned to see Lori standing in the living room archway. Rory walked over to her daughter.

"Are you sure. I mean this was going to be our night."

"Yes."

Rory stood slowly and turned back to Tristen. 

"Would you like to stay. We can offer a couple movies and some pizza."

"I would love to stay." He said, moving towards them.

He knelt down in front of Lori and held out the rose.

"For you my lady."

Lori giggled as she took the rose. He stood slowly, looking at Rory. Her eyes widened.

"What about you clothes. I mean I don't think you will be comfortable in that suit."

"I have some stuff in my car. Just give me a minute."

Tristen turned and walked out of the house. Rory looked down at her daughter, who was holding the rose.

"Thank you Lori."

"Welcome Mommy."

Tristen came back in a few minutes later, carrying a bag.

"Where can I change?"

"Bathroom is first door down that hall on the left."

Tristen nodded and headed down the hall. Rory turned to her daughter.

"Go stop the movie and I will order the pizza."

Lori nodded and ran into the living room. Rory picked up the phone and dialed the number for the pizza place. As she finished the order, Tristen appeared from down the hallway wearing jeans and a long sleeve white t-shirt. 

"Where can I put this?"

Rory took the bag from him, causing their hands to touch. She felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. Slowly she walked over to the closet and opened the door. 

"It will be here when you are ready to leave." She said as she set the bag down.

She turned around and ran into him.

"Sorry." She mumbled, looking down.

Tristen slipped his finger under her chin. He raised her chin slowly until she was looking in his eyes. Without speaking, he leaned forward until their lips met. As he pulled back, he whispered

"Marry me?"

Rory pulled away from Tristen, turning towards the wall.

"What did you just say?"

When there was no answer, she turned to find herself alone in the hallway. Slowly she made her way back into the living room. Tristen and Lori were sitting on the couch waiting for her. Lori looked up, seeing her mother.

"Where were you mommy?"

Rory looked at Tristen, who appeared to be engrossed in the previews.

"I was ordering the pizza."

"With pepperoni and extra cheese?"

Rory walked over to the couch and sat down. Lori climbed into her lap, resting her head on her shoulder. Rory wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I love you mommy." She whispered

"I love you too."

Tristen smiled, listening to them.

The doorbell rang about half an hour later. Rory started to get up but found that Lori had fallen asleep on her lap. 

"Lori, dinner's here." She whispered

Lori shifted in her mothers lap but did not wake up. The doorbell rang again. She looked at Tristen.

"Would you mind getting the door. The money's on the table."

"How about my treat."

"Tristen I can't let you do that."

"I was taking you out to dinner tonight anyway."

"Thanks."

Tristen stood up and headed for the front door. Rory shook her daughter slightly. When she opened her eyes, Rory whispered.

"Dinner's here."

"I'm not hungry mommy."

"Do you want me to take you upstairs?"

"Yes please."

Rory stood carefully and walked out of the room. She met Tristen in the hallway.

"Where do you want this?"

"You can take it on the living room." She said, "I will be back down in a minute."

"All right." He said, "Good night Lori."

Lori opened her eyes slowly.

"Night Tristen." She whispered

Tristen walked into the living room while Rory headed up the stairs. She helped Lori change into her night shirt and get into bed. After she was tucked in, Rory turned on the music box next to the bed on. Slowly she leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Good night " she whispered

"Good night mommy. I love you."

Rory walked downstairs and into the living room. To her surprise, Tristen had two plates with pizza, a couple bottles of water waiting. He also dimmed the lights, giving the room a more romantic feeling. She sat next to him and he handed her a plate.

"Thanks."

He took his plate and sat back next to her.

"Ready for the movie?"

Rory nodded through a mouth full of pizza. Tristen picked up the remote and pushed the play button. The movie filled the screen. After swallowing her pizza, she turned to Tristen.

"What Woman Want?"

"You've never seen it. It was with you other movies."

"Two Words Tristen…Mel Gibson."

Tristen set his plate on the table and stood up. Looking down at her, he said

"What does Mel Gibson have that I don't?"

Rory nearly choked on her pizza. She set the plate down and reached up, grabbing his arm. As she tried to pull him down, he lost his balance and fell on the couch. He was half on top of her and half on the floor. 

He tired to push himself off her but when their eyes met, he leaned forward and kissed her. As he pulled back, he whispered

"I love you Rory Gilmore. I always have and I always will."

Rory was about to say something when they heard Lori's voice.

"Mommy?"

Tristen fell on the floor and Rory scrambled to get up. She rushed over to the staircase to see her daughter at the top of the stairs, clutching a stuffed animal. She walked up the stairs, stopping next to her daughter.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream. I'm scared."

Rory slipped her arm around her daughter's shoulder and led her back to the bedroom. She picked her up, set her in the bed and tucked her in. As she sat down next to her, she turned on the nightlight and said

"Want to hear a story?"

"Yes."

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Serenna. Serenna lived in a kingdom and had everything her heart desired but she wasn't happy.

"Why not mommy?"

"Because although Serenna loved her family, what she wanted was adventure. Every night, she would sneak out of the castle and explore the woods. 

Rory looked down to see her daughter had fallen asleep. Carefully she slipped off the bed and stood up. She walked downstairs and into the living room, only to find the room empty. A piece of paper on the table was on the table with her name on it. She picked it up and opened it slowly.

Rory

I hope Lori is all right. I know that I should have said

good night but I did not want to interrupt the story.

Maybe one day you can tell me the story of the princess

Serenna. I hope we can do this again sometime. I'll talk

to you later. Just remember, I love you

Tristen.

Rory folded up the paper and set it back on the table. She looked around to see that he had also cleaned up the living room. Reaching down, she picked up the remote and flipped on the TV. She was about to head upstairs when the phone rang. Picking up, she said

"Hello?"

"I couldn't go to sleep without saying good ngiht."

"Good night Tristen." She said, smiling, "Thanks for cleaning up."

"No problem but it comes with a price."

"What is it."

"I'll let you know."

With that, he hung up. Rory hung up the phone and headed upstairs. 


	4. Answers

Usual disclaimers apply. I do not own any of the characters and I am making no money off of it. The song is something that I heard somewhere but I cannot remember where or when. I wish I could. So the disclaimer applies to that too. I don't own it, I am borrowing for a few minutes. 

2 Weeks later

Rory and Tristen were walking around downtown Hartford after dinner. 

"So you are doing mostly free lance work now?" he asked

"It works out good with Lori. I work out of the house so I can spend a lot of time with her. Maybe when she starts school, I will go back to the paper."

They stopped in front of a fountain in the [ark and sat down. Tristen noticed her shiver, so he pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulder.

"Thanks."

"My pleasure." He said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

She leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. 

"Tristen can I ask you something."

"Anything."

Rory pulled away, looking in his eyes

"When we were on the plane and when you were at my house, you asked me to marry you. I need to know why?"

"Rory when I was sent to military school our sophomore year, the only regret that I has was not being about to tell you that I loved you. I must have hundreds, maybe thousands of letters to you."

"I never got anything."

"I never sent them." He said, "I knew you had a boyfriend and I did not want to get in the way. After I graduated, I went to Duke. It was the first time that I could be somewhere where no one knew me. I finished college, went to law school and here I am. Through all of that, the only thing I never forgot was you. You made me want to be a better person. And to answer you question, I asked you to marry me because I love you. I will always love you Rory."

"But you never stayed around."

"That is because I was afraid of rejection. I know that it was a stupid and childish thing to do."

"Tristen, you wouldn't want to marry me. I mean I have Lori and my job. I…I can't ask you to take on my responsibilities."

"Rory I love you and I love Lori. I would rather die than hurt either of you." He said, "I promise, no more proposals…for now. And now I think ifs time to get you home Ms Gilmore."

"I think you are right."

They stood up and walked back to his car. He drove back to her house and parked behind Lorelai's car. They climbed out of the car and walked towards the door. Rory pulls out her keys and unlocks the door. They step inside, shedding their coats.

"We're home."

"Mommy?" Lori called

Before Rory had a chance to answer, Lori came running out of the living room. Her eyes lit up

"Tristen!"

She ran to him and he scooped her up in his arms. Rory watched them and couldn't help but smile. He was so at ease with her. Lorelai came out of the living room.

"Hello kids."

"Hi mom."

"Hello Lorelai."

"Since you two are home, I'm going to turn in. Would you like me to take Lori upstairs."

"Can Tristen do it mommy?"

"Would you mind?" Rory asked Tristen

"Not at all. Come on Miss Lori."

He started up the stairs. Rory and Lorelai watched them until they disappeared. When they were out of earshot, Lorelai asked

"Did he propose again?"

Rory shook her head. When she didn't say anymore, Lorelai said

"I am going to call Luke and turn in."

"Night mom."

Lorelai walked down the hall towards the guest room. Rory walked up the stairs, stopping outside Lori's room. She could hear Lori and Tristen talking 

"Will you tell me a story?"

"I'm afraid I don't know any stories."

"Then sing me a song. Pretty please with sugar on top."

Rory knew there was no way that he could say no to her. Tristen cleared his throat. He started to sing softly

"Rest your head

little sleepyhead

sandman's calling you

towards you bed,

Sleep until that 

Morning light

And keep those

Bright eyes bright"

Rory peeked in the room to see him stand up, then lean down to kiss her forehead.

"Good night Lori." He whispered

He walked out of the room to find Rory leaning against the wall. He closed the door so that they did not wake Lori.

"Tristen, that was so wonderful."

"She's a great girl."

Rory stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. Slowly she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. His arms tightened around her waist. She pulled back slowly.

"Maybe we should say good night."

"I think you're right."

She slipped out of his arms and they walked down the stairs to the front door. He opened the door and stepped outside. Turning to her, he said

"Good night Rory."

"Good night Tristen."

He started to walk away, when she said

"Tristen?"

He turned around and walked back to her.

"Yes?"

"My mom and Luke's 5th anniversary is in two weeks. There's a big party in Stars Hollow. Would you like to come? If you have plans its all right. I was just wondering…"

"Rory, I would love to come."

Well I am thinking one more part to tie things up. I hope you all enjoyed the story as much as I like writing it.


	5. The Party

Rory pulled the white gauze dress off the hanger and slipped it over her head. She stepped into a pair of white sandals. Picking p a clip from the bed, she waked into the bathroom and picked p her brush. She ran it through her hair, then carefully piled her hair on top of her head and attached the clip. Satisfied with her appearance, she walked out of the bathroom and down the hall. Her daughter's door was partially open.

"Lori are you getting ready?"

When she heard a muffled reply, Rory pushed open the door to see her daughter with her dress half on. She couldn't help but smile as she stepped inside the room. Carefully she pulled the dress over her daughter's head.

"Put your arms up."

Lori put her arms up. Rory slipped the dress over her daughter's head.

"Now turn around."

Lori turned around and Rory tied the sash at the back of her dress.

"All done. How do you want me to do your hair?"

"Can you braid it?"

"Okay."

Rory walked over to the dresser. She picked up a hairbrush and a light blue ribbon that match her daughter's dress. She walked back to the bed and pulled her daughter towards her. Carefully she brushed her hair, braided it and tied it with a ribbon.

"All done."

Just then, the phone rang.

"Tristen!" Lori shouted

She raced out of the room and to the stairs. Luckily Rory was right behind her.

"Don't run down the stairs."

Lori froze at the top of the stairs. Rory took her hand and led her down the stairs. Once they were at the bottom, Lori ran to the door. She started to open the door but Rory stopped her.

"Let me check who it is first."

Rory looked through the peephole to see Tristen standing on the other side. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly.

"Tristen!" Lori shouted.

Tristen picked her up and she threw her arms around his neck. He shifted her so that she was at his side. His other arm wrapped around Rory's waist and he pulled her towards him. As he leaned forward to kiss her, Lori exclaimed

"Yuck!"

They both started to laugh. Tristen set Lori down. He knelt down in front of her.

"Soon you will be interested in boys."

"Boys are yucky."

"I'm a boy. Am I yucky."

When Lori didn't respond, Tristen started to tickle her until she began to giggle.

"Okay you two. We really need to be going."

Tristen stopped tickling Lori and stood up. He held out his hand and Lori slipped hers into his. Then he slipped his other arm around Rory.

They arrived in Stars Hollow about half an hour later. Tristen looked around, amazed at how perfect everything was. It reminded him of a town in North Carolina that he visited once.

"So where is your mom's house."

"Take the second street after the light but we are going to the Town Square."

"I thought we were going to an…" he stopped when he saw the center of town

There were people all over the place. Streamers, banners and balloons decorated every surface. He could see a table with presents and several other tables piled with food.

He parked the car and slid out. Walking around, to the other side, he let Rory and Lori out. 

"Mommy can I find Jessica."

"Sure but don't get dirty."

Lori took off in search of her friend, who was the daughter of her mother's best friend, Lane Kim. Tristen walked around to the trunk of his car and pulled out two bags.

"What's that?" Rory asked, pointing to the other bag.

"My gift to your mom and Luke."

"You didn't have to get anything."

"I wanted to."

He took her hand and walked towards the gazebo. They left the gifts on the table and went off in search of the happy couple. They found them sitting at one of the tables with Jackson and Sookie. Lorelai stood as soon as she saw them. She rushed over to them, hugging both of them. Then she took Rory's had and pulled her towards the table. Tristen followed behind.

He watched as Rory hugged all of the people. She turned looking for him. When she noticed him off to the side, she motioned for him to come over. Slowly he walked over to them.

"Luke, Jackson, Sookie this is Tristen."

Tristen stepped forward, extending his hand. Luke shook it first.

"Its an honor sir."

"Just treat her right."

"I intend to sir."

Luke released his hand. Tristen rubbed his hand, then his fingers causing Luke to smile. He then shook hands with Jackson. As he stepped in front of Sookie, he held out his hand. Sookie looked at it for a minute, then hugged him. When she pulled away, she said

"You're like family."

"Have you two eaten yet?" Lorelai asked

"Not yet mom." She said, "I need to find Lori first."

She looked around for her daughter but didn't see her.

"Rory! Rory!"

Rory turned to see Jessica Kim running towards her.

"Lori's hurt. She fell off the swings."

Rory took off with Tristen on her heels. Behind them, Luke and Lorelai followed They found Lori sitting on the ground, crying. Rory knelt down next to her daughter.

"What happened."

"I…was…playing…and…I…fell." She managed between sobs.

"What hurts?"

"My…my…my…knee."

Rory tried to push her dress up so she could see her daughter's knee but that only made her cry harder. Tristen knelt down next to Rory.

"Lori, look at me."

She looked at him. He wiped the tears off her cheeks. 

"I want you to tell me about something that makes you happy."

He looked over his shoulder to see Luke approaching with a small white box. Turning back to her, he said

"Do you want to know what makes me happy?"

She nodded.

"Your smile." He said, "You smile is what makes me happy. Can you smile for me?"

She shook her head.

"Yes you can. For me…pretty please, with sugar on top."

She smiled a little.

"I know you can do better than that."

Slowly, her smile grew larger.

"There it is. I knew you could do it."

He looked at Rory. She had managed to check Lori's knee, get it cleaned and bandaged.

"And you are all done."

Lori looked down to see her knee was bandaged. Tristen scooped her up in his arms and walked over to a bench. He sat down, arranging her so she was leaned against his shoulder. Her eyes closed as he began to rock back and forth. Rory walked over to them and saw down next to Tristen. She brusehd some stray hairs off her daughter's forehead.

"You are so good with her."

"She's the greatest Rory." He said, "I love her so much."

Later that evening

Rory, Tristen and Lori sat with the others, watching Luke and Lorelai open their gifts. Tristen wrapped his arms around the little girl seated on his lap. He watched as Lorelai picked up his gift. She pulled the flat package out of the bag and turned it over.

"There's no name."

"Its from me Lorelai." He said

"Thank you Tristen."

She unwrapped the package to see a picture of the sunset. She showed it to Luke, then held it up for everyone to see. 

"That was taken from my vacation on Hilo Island."

"It looks lovely."

"And you will get to see it first hand." He said, "Rory told me that you two never got to take a real honeymoon. My gift to you is a two week vacation to the islands…all expenses paid."

He leaned down and whispered something in Lori's ear. Then he handed her an envelope. She slid off his lap and walked over to her grandmother. 

"Happy Anniversary Luke and Lorelai." Tristen said, standing up and raising his glass.

Everyone soon followed, standing up and raising their glasses.

The party ended about an hour later. Most of the people stayed around, helping to clean up. When they finished, Rory and Tristen walked around Stars Hollow. They leaned against one of the trees, looking up at the stars.

"It was a perfect evening." She said

"I can think of one more thing to make it absolutely perfect." He whispered, "Will you marry me?" 

Rory smiled to herself, knowing that when she turned he would be gone. Slowly she turned to him. To her surprise, he was still there. This time in his hand was a black velvet box with a diamond ring. He dropped down on one knee in front of her.

"Lorelai Gilmore will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes." She whispered

Well that's all folks.….for now…

Hope you enjoyed my little story. 


End file.
